Beneath the Water
by Pallet and Cerulean
Summary: Hanabi heads to Mugi's apartment to escape the rain.


The rain came from nowhere. The sunny, blue skies suddenly clouded over with heavy grey sheets, blocking out the light and giving the world a dark, overcast shadowing. Soon, a drizzle started trickling down to the dreary world below. In no time, what was merely a steady drip turned to a downpour, the skies opening up their torrent to the earth. Everything was turned cold and heavy, drenched with the pouring, grey rain.

Caught in the rain, Hanabi paced down the deserted sidewalks with a resigned sort of weariness. There was no hope of getting home with any semblance of dryness left, so she had given in to the rain. Still, her heels dragged on the wet cement, the dreary atmosphere sapping her energy and slowing her steps. Rainy days were meant for settling down with tea and a good book, not dragging yourself through empty streets in a soaked school uniform.

Letting out a quiet huff, Hanabi shifted her bag on her shoulder, uncomfortable from where it rubbed at her wet shirt. Still a long walk from home, Hanabi let her thoughts turn to other alternatives. There was no way she could stop at a cafe to wait out the rain looking the way she did, sopping wet and dripping. All the same, she really didn't want to keep dragging on through the storm. After a moment, she remembered that Mugi's apartment was closer than her own, just a few streets away. Turning down a new street to head that way, Hanabi brushed the hair away from where it stuck and matted to her cheek. She tucked it back behind her ear, wind pulling at the stray pieces.

Not far in the distance, she could pick out Mugi's apartment complex, rising above some of the shorter buildings against the dark, heavy skyline. Hanabi walked through the nearly empty streets, only occasionally passing the odd person scurrying out from a shop, head ducked beneath an umbrella. Looking down at her drenched and wrinkled skirt, the way the fabric darkened and clung to her skin, Hanabi couldn't help but envy them, missing her own umbrella. The thought of buying a cheap one for the walk home had crossed her mind, but at that point, she was already throughly wet, the damp cold soaking into her bones.

Glad for the break from the relentless downpour, Hanabi stepped under the cover of the apartment complex, following the familiar path to Mugi's door. With a soft knock, Hanabi stood and waited, hoping to get out of the wind and cold. A moment later, the door swung open, Mugi standing in the threshold, already changed out of his school uniform. Giving her an appraising look, Mugi swept his gaze over her soaked, limp outfit.

"Can I stay here?" Hanabi asked, voice sounding quiet and small against the pounding of rain against the street.

"Until the rain stops?" Mugi questioned.

"Yeah," Hanabi replied with a light nod, reaching up the wring out the excess water from her hair.

Stepping aside, Mugi let her inside, closing the door to the wet, dreary world. Even so, the quiet din of rain on the roof still gave an atmospheric kind of feel. Kicking off her muddied shoes, Hanabi stayed where she stood, already leaving a puddle from the rainwater dripping off her skirt. The water pooled and collected by her socks, sitting atop the tile.

"You should go take a warm shower and change into some dry clothes," Mugi suggested. "You'll catch a cold," he added, bringing a towel for her to dry off a bit with.

Nodding, Hanabi set her bag by her feet, taking the towel. She did her best to dry some of the water so she wouldn't track it down his hall. Tossing the dampened towel around her neck, she headed to the bathroom. Hanabi slid the door shut behind her before discarding the towel off to the side, her socks following not far behind. Soon, the rest of her clothes joined them in a heap and she turned on the water, waiting for the spray to warm. Once the water was hot and steam billowed up, she stepped under it. Somehow, despite their similarities, tilting her face up to the hot spray of water from the shower felt so good, yet the cold rain running down her back was miserable.

Finishing her shower, Hanabi turned the water off. She dried off, finding the clothes Mugi had left where her wet clothes had been taken, presumably hung out to dry. Picking up the thick, grey sweatshirt he had set out, she pulled it over her head. It wasn't a bad fit, though a bit too big. There were a pair of black shorts as well that Hanabi slipped into, running her fingers through her hair to loosen the tangles.

Stepping out of the bathroom, she walked back to Mugi's room, the flooring cold against her bare feet. When she walked in, she found his eyes fixed on her while he sat on the edge of his bed. There was a book open in his hands, but it looked long forgotten, the pages turned down towards the bed. There was something about his watchful gaze, the way his throat bobbed when he swallowed, that she couldn't quite place, but the space suddenly felt intimate and close, even when she froze at the opposite side of the room.

"What is it?" Hanabi asked, curiousity edging into her voice.

"The walls are too thin," Mugi muttered, running a hand back through his tousled blonde hair. Seeing the confused expression on Hanabi's face, he shifted uncomfortably under her gaze. "I could hear everything," he clarified, mind drifting back to the image that his mind had so mercilessly created.

Once she had gone into the bathroom and he had picked out clothes for her to change into, he returned to his room, picking up the novel he had been reading before she came. Though, it proved incredibly hard to focus, every sound from the bathroom carrying through the wall. He could hear her shimmying from her clothes, the slick rustle of wet fabric. The water came on with the squeak of the faucet, the spray raining down on the tile flooring. Images of Hanabi, skin bare and hair falling messily down to her shoulders, flickered across his mind, water cascading over her skin. Attempting to shut out the distraction, Mugi held his book closer to his face, forcing his eyes to skim over the words. It really was no use, though. Eventually, the shower clicked off and he could almost see the way she would stand, plumes of steam rising up around her, beads of water dripping down her pale skin. Too attuned to every sound, he listened to her towel off, eventually pulling on his clothes and walking out to his room with quiet footsteps.

"That sounds kind of dirty," Hanabi mused, crossing the room to stand in front of him. Catching the way Mugi's eyes followed her, locking on her thin frame, Hanabi let a smirk pull at her lips. His sweatshirt slipped over her shoulder, exposing fair skin.

Seating herself in Mugi's lap, straddling his legs with her own, Hanabi pressed her forehead against his. Violet eyes caught amber ones in her intense gaze, drawing Mugi in. In a moment, his arms wrapped tight around her waist, pulling her in closer while his lips found her jaw. He pressed a kiss to her soft skin, the clean scent of soap and shampoo tangling in his lungs. There was something about the way she looked dressed in his clothes, hair spilling to her shoulders in messy waves, that had him entranced.

Hanabi's breathy moan joined the sound of raindrops on the roof when Mugi nudged her chin up, lips moving to the underside of her jaw then down the column of her throat. Her hands slid from where they were settled at his waist, coming up to rest at the base of his neck, pulling him closer. Eyes fluttering shut, Hanabi let another quiet moan escape her when Mugi's kisses dipped beneath her collarbone, taking advantage of the way his sweatshirt hung loose on her frame, slipping off one shoulder.

"Mugi," Hanabi murmured, dipping her head so her breath came in a warm puff against Mugi's ear. The sensation made him stutter in his affections before refocusing his efforts. A flare of possessiveness rose up in his stomach, something about the way Hanabi said his name while the scent of his soap clung to her skin and she wore his clothes stirring up the emotion. Arms wrapping tighter around her middle, Mugi pulled her flush against him, teeth grazing her milky skin in a way that made a wanting whimper rise in her throat. His touch had always had the ability to make her melt, reduced to putty beneath his hands, his lips.

Cheeks flushing pink at the thought, Hanabi gently pushed back against Mugi's shoulders, trying to regain some semblance of control. Whenever he kissed her, the dizzying rush of pleasure and adrenaline made her stomach flutter and her head feel fuzzy, making her give in to his affections. Mugi was intoxicating.

Confused amber eyes met Hanabi's and she buried her head in the crook of his neck, trying to slow the excited beat of her heart and make her breaths come flat and even. She only came here to wait out the rain. If Mugi kept kissing her the way he had been, sweet yet possessive and hungry, she'd end up spending the night, lost in her desires.

"I just took a shower, don't get me all worked up and sweaty," Hanabi attempted to tease, but her voice betrayed her, a trembling want replacing her intended playfulness.

Arms loosening from around her waist, Mugi let out a breath, one hand gently lifting Hanabi's head from where it was still buried in the crook of his neck. With a hand on her jaw, he tilted her head up so his gaze met hers. There was an undeniable sort of tension in the air, heavy and thick.

"Don't make me hold back when you look so pretty," Mugi said, voice low and rough, a hint of longing lacing the words. A shiver crept down Hanabi's spine at his tone, a surge of heat blooming low in her stomach. Chest tightening, Hanabi curled her fingers in the fabric over her fluttering heart. Why did he say things like that? Things that made her want to kiss him until she forgot her name.

Hanabi pulled in a shuddering breath, trying to ignore the way her nerves ached with the need to touch him, the way her skin felt like ice, desperate to melt against the heat of him. The fact that she was still straddling his lap did ease to help the desire pulsing in her veins. "I'm holding back too," Hanabi murmured, voice a near whisper, pressing her forehead to his while her eyes fell closed.

Through the foggy haze of longing, she realized that the muffled din of rain was gone, meaning she could go home. The thought made her dizzy, stomach clenching uncomfortably. Fighting her mind, every fiber of her being craved Mugi's touch. Following her better judgement, Hanabi leaned away, slipping off of his lap and stepping back. Briefly breaking away from Mugi's gaze, she threw a glance out the window. Her heart sunk at the sight of sun peering out through the clouds, the earlier downpour nowhere to be found.

"I should get home," Hanabi said quietly, taking another reluctant step back.

Doing his best to shake off the longing haze, Mugi silently stood from his bed, brushing past Hanabi to grab her drying uniform. He met Hanabi by the door with her still wet clothes in a bag, watching her slip on her shoes. Careful to avoid his hands, Hanabi took her clothes and turned towards the door, laying a hand on the knob. She took a look over her shoulder, violet eyes subdued.

"I'll see you at school," Mugi offered, gaze falling down to his socks.

"Yeah," Hanabi agreed quietly before slipping out of the apartment, door clicking shut behind her.

Leaning back against the cool metal, Hanabi pressed a hand to her chest, eyes fluttering shut. The feeling of Mugi's lips on her skin was burned in the front of her mind, making her heart beat faster. Steeling herself, Hanabi pushed off of the door and paced down the hall, starting her walk home. Glancing up at the sky, she figured she was the only person who would have preferred the sun stay tucked behind the clouds all day. Instead, it shone brightly through the clouds, warming her skin and cooling the frustrated heat in the pit of her stomach.

Next time, Hanabi resolved, she would sacrifice her pride and lose herself in Mugi's kisses. It didn't matter if her head got pulled beneath the water. She had been drowning in him all along.


End file.
